It Wasn't Me
by Penmemisa
Summary: Possible scenario for Probable Cause. Started as an inteorragation scene but has morphed into more. Includes possible spoilers for 5x05. "Beckett, you know me." "Do I?" Is this about murder or trust. Play on words from chapter to chapter, kudos to anyone who can figure it out at the end. Chapter 3 up.
1. Chapter 1

A possible interrogation seen I thought of for Probable Cause. Enjoy and please review because its my first fanfic. I have no clue if its good or if I should stick to just reading.

Disclaimer-I don't own them but wish I did.

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Beckett just had to ask, full of reluctance and butterflies in her stomach. Brows furrowed and jaws clenching to match the tension she was feeling both physically and emotionally, "Where were you last Friday night?"

Castle slowly leaned forward and Beckett matched his move, a poker face hiding the pain of what he may now be losing due to evidence that isn't his, whispering his remembrance, "You know where."

Beckett sat back in disbelief, how can he be thinking about _that_ at a time like this, emotionless, "Before _that_ Castle."

_Ouch. That stung_. He sat back a little defeated at the sudden disbelief of accusations and a bit confused as to what this was really about: murder or trust; he decided to play it safe, less confusing and so frustrating. With tears in his eyes he croaks out, "I think I'd like my lawyer now."

Beckett didn't want him lawyering up. This was taking it to a whole new level and would make it even more difficult for her to help. "Castle, I can't help you if you don't tell me where you were last Friday night."

"Kate." Castle pleaded with rimmed eyes.

"The truth Castle," she states in her normal detective voice. Beckett wasn't ready to let this go. She has to know because every time the seed of doubt is planted she squishes it. But lately, that seed is becoming more and more difficult to squish by herself.

Castle now knows this is more than just murder. He sees it in her eyes. _How can she not trust me?_ "Beckett, I am telling you the truth. After all this time, why is it you don't believe me?"

_Hmm…good question. Maybe because you've been divorced twice and lived on page six after that_. "Oh I don't know, maybe because all the evidence is pointing to you."

_Geez this woman is maddening. What the hell are we talking about here? I'm going to go with murder. _"Yes, but it wouldn't be the first time the evidence is wrong."

Lost in the moment and caught up in her trust issues she forgets she's Beckett for a moment and is full on Kate saying, "What are you saying Rick?"

"I'm being setup Kate. You know me, I didn't do this."

"Do I?" Kate asks with the pain of her last faltering trust as if her world is about to crumble.

"What?" Castle asks confused, _does she what?_

"Do I know you? I mean we've been dating for only a few months." _Ooops…did I just say that out loud?_

_Bingo. There it is and this is definitely more than just murder. I'm not even going to touch the trust issue right now. _"Yes but I've been you're partner for four years. Doesn't that count for something?"

"I don't know what to believe right now." Kate says warily, confused, and hoping this would all just go away as she drops her head and digs the palms of her hands into her eyes relieving a little of the tension.

_She knows what to believe, she's just scared_. "Yes you do, you're just..."

"Just what, Castle?" Kate asks as she looks back up from her hands, mouth open in anticipation, eyes hopeful and holding her breath.

"Just…wait. What did you just say?"

Kate responds, "Stop trying to change the..."

"I'm not, what did you just say?" Castle abruptly interrupts because the cobwebs in his mind are clearing like they do when he's coming up with a theory. It's on the tip, just a quick rewind.

"I don't know….what to believe?" Kate says again except this time a lot more confused.

"That's it!" Castle snaps his fingers in antics. He's got it.

"What's it?" Kate asks still lost with where he's going.

"You don't know what to believe….this is unbelievable…..I mean…the jewelry…the fingerprints….the photo…Friday night..." Castle says the last part wagging his eyebrows going for just a little humor as relief begins to set in because he's working a theory.

Just then the door flies open and a tall older man, older than castle, with grey distinguishing hair and a suit to match, "Richard Castle, I recommend you not say another word."

"Not now!" Both, Beckett and Castle turn to him and say. They're on to something, building theory, and now is not the time for interruptions. Beckett and Castle both have stupid grins on their face.

The lawyer is stunned. What has he just walked into? But he quickly sees his place, standing back, quietly observing but ready to jump in if needed at any moment. Beckett is stunned too. Even on opposite ends they're still in sync and that gives her hope. Her eyes shift to Castle with a guarded optimistic look…about the predicament…about their future.

"Beckett. I'm telling you, I didn't do this and stop looking at me like that. Instead why don't you track down the real killer?" Castle tells her. She needs to focus, hell he needs to focus. Both of them just quietly stare at each other. Like some sort of stand-off, waiting for the other side to show their cards first because they both know the conversation they've been having is so much more than murder. Sure, to any prying ears that's all they'd hear but to both of them they just knew it meant more.

The lawyer beginning to feel the uncomfortable silence seizes his opportunity, "Detective Beckett, I'm Jerry Tucker and I'll be representing…"

"That's it!" Castle cuts him off. Tucker turns to eye the source of his frustration – his client.

"What?" Kate asks.

"Jerry." Castle begins to explain.

"Yes." Tucker responds to his name.

"Not you." Both Beckett and Castle say to him in annoyance. Neither looks at him nor breaks their eye contact with a quirk of a smile playing on Beckett's lips and a subtle eyebrow raise on Castle's face.

Tucker sheepishly begins, "Okay now I'm confused. Richard, don't say another word." He finishes as his confusion turns to anger.

"Jerry Tyson, 3XK! It has to be. It's just unbelievable enough to be him." Castle can see the wheels turning behind her eyes as she coaxes him on with her brow. "Beckett…Kate, you have to," but he's cut off again and now he doesn't care as he looks with predatory eyes because building up a good theory with her is just like building up to…_um, yeah, focus Castle…_he corrects himself.

"Stop using my first name and stop looking at _me_ like that." Beckett chides him. She then slides her chair back, gives him a softer look because now she has another direction to follow. She just needs to get the evidence to support the theory.

She makes her way to the door, opening it with one last look of guilt over her shoulder and a sorrowful smile plays on her mouth. "Take him down to holding" she quietly says to the cop waiting outside.

Shutting the door behind her and just like that she's gone.

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Poll-finish or continue?


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the encouraging words to continue. I really wasn't sure if this would be good or not. I hope the 2nd chapter does the 1st chapter justice. I'll try to upload a chapter a day until this is resolved but no promises and I know where I want this to resolve but not sure how its going to get there yet. Again - thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.

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Chapter 2 - Something

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Beckett with a new stride crosses over to her desk yelling out, "Ryan! Anything on video?"

"No boss. I've been going through it like you asked and nothing. I'm sorry…it looks like Castle to me."

"It can't be." The evidence currently appears to be 100% but she isn't. She just has to find the missing link. There is something they've missed, something that will explain the unbelievable.

Esposito. Always the brother, always the one to have her back, only now he has her back in a way that he thinks is best for her, "Beckett, I…"

"No Javi…I know him. He did not do this." _Maybe now it's my turn to grasp at straws, but he just can't be the one responsible for this._

Esposito curiously asks because he has to know where this change in her has come from, "What did he say in there?"

Deciding to play it cool and not show her hand to the boys she limits their visibility, "Oh you know. The usual: I didn't do it." What's the point in sharing the 3XK theory with them? She needs a little more time, a little more evidence because right now she fears they'll see her grasping. And she can't deal with the sympathy right now. Right now, she needs to focus because she once made a promise, _"Don't worry Castle, I'd get you out."_

Laser focused she instructs, "Ryan…instead of the video let's go at this a different way."

"Why boss? We got 'em. I don't like it as much as you, but it's Castle. Look Beckett, I know, okay? I know about all of it" he looks deep in her eyes trying to communicate the depth of his knowledge, "and it's just something that you have to accept" Ryan knows about them, he sees her struggling; he sees her grasping and doesn't see the point. He doesn't want her to have hope where the evidence says there's none. He can't stand to watch her fall so hard after she's been climbing for so long.

Beckett stares back, eyes opened, mouth gaping. _Oh shit! He does know._ _Does Javi know too?_ Her eyes dart to Esposito but nothing. Looking back at Ryan she thinks, _save the 'I know' speech because really? Where is that going to get us right now?_ With all her resolute, "Well, we've got to be sure. This is one of us after all." _What the hell? They have to know he didn't do this too._ "Anyway, as I was saying, all we need to find is something…Ryan, trace the IP address back to the bank of the withdrawal from his pocket account. I want to know the geographical location and time. Espo, trace where the cashier's check was purchased and pull the video off that location. Our only hope is to cross-reference time and location with Castle. We've got to dig deeper on this." _Because he'd do the same for us._ "I'm going down to talk to Lanie – keep digging and see what else you can find."

As Beckett walks away, both Ryan and Esposito quietly observe her retraction feeling every ounce of their sympathy growing the further she gets.

"Dude." Espo back slaps Ryan on the arm, "What's with the 'I know' speech?"

"Nothing…just that I know…this must be tough"

"Yeah right," Esposito says in disagreement. "uh uh, that wasn't nothing…that was something."

Just after she enters the elevator she turns facing them, yelling "Guys! Go!" just as the elevators door close. Both men scurry like roaches as Beckett leans her head back on the wall, closing her eyes thinking, _I hope Lanie has something._

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Beckett brushes into the morgue with both doors flying open with the same gusto as you can see her moving with, "Lanie, tell me you have something."

"Oh I have something alright, and from the looks of it you have some explaining yourself." Lanie presses her lips together tightly as she raises her eyebrows and looks at Kate dead on.

"Not now Lanie."

"Fine but I'm only dropping this temporarily."

"Body." Beckett interrupts her.

"Excuse me." Lanie sounds excitedly rushed with disbelief because there is no way Kate Beckett is going there at this moment.

"The body…please tell me you have something that will help Castle."

"Oh right." Damn…Lanie thinks. She was so close and then Beckett had to go full on cop mode. Thinking better of it, the ME informs her, "At first glance there's no straight forward cause of death. But see the postmortem bruising settling in around the neck here, and the esophagus was crushed on an upward 45 degree angle. I'd say she was strangled to death by someone taller but after the carved tattoo in the forehead."

"Carved tattoo?" Kate asks. Lanie carefully points to the emblem carved into the woman's forehead, "see the design? I could only see the detail after I cleaned the blood off."

"What about the barbed wire? Anything interesting with that?"

"No."

So far this trip is proving to be less useful to her cause and Kate grunts in disappointment. _Damnit._

"Initially…" Lanie begins and that peaks Beckett's interest. She looks to her friend hopeful, eyes dancing at the possibility of something as Lanie finishes, "I did find some green fiber in one of the gashes in the abdomen caused by the wire." "It may not be much but I'm running the fiber through the database now to determine the type of material. I should know more in about an hour."

"Perfect! Thanks Lanie!." Beckett's voice hitches in excitement along with her step as she begins to exit the morgue.

"Girl we're not done yet."

Beckett halts at the door turning around, _oh, there's more?_ "Oh…what else?"

"You tell me." Lanie sasses back.

Beckett gives a knowing smile and nod to her friend. Always the prying, looking out for you friend, she raises over her shoulder as she walks out, "Okay – I'm going now."

Lanie just smirks at no one in particular as the doors swing shut, "Mmhmmm. I'm sure you're doing a lot more coming than going these days."

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Reviews please - they help.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Releasing the next chapter for Lalalupin. There's a play on words from Chapter to Chapter and kudos to whomever figures it out. 3 more chapters to go. Feel free to review or PM me your feedback as I'm looking to improve with this being my first story to write.

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.

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Chapter 3: Holding

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Castle sat in the holding cell, legs - shoulders width apart, elbows on knees, hands clasped and eyes staring down at the cold floor. Quickly thinking of scenarios on how 3XK may have pulled this off and man, he's gotta get back with the team. Not that their not capable, but if it _is _3XK…well, that's just personal to him.

Suddenly footsteps break his train-of-thought. Her footsteps, he'd know her rhythm anywhere. He takes a cleansing breadth because just her presence tends to calm his nerves. _How does she do that?_ He sits up, eyes quickly seeking her out and as she approaches the cell, he half smiles at her, "Hey."

"Hey…how are you holding up?" She smiles back with adoration and guilt as the guard opens his cell. She takes the seat next to him breathing in his scent giving her a quiet strength.

"Ha – that's funny Beckett, and thanks for asking. I'm _holding_ up just fine in the _holding_ cell." He tries to lightly tease and eagerly asks, "Get it?"

Oh, she gets it alright. _I didn't mean…huh, the parallel would be funny if it wasn't him in here right now._

He sees the flash of her second-guessing in her eyes. He thinks she's second-guessing him but she's berating herself for her no pun intended comment she just made.

Castle tries to fix what he can because he feels helpless. _Damn that 3XK_, "Beckett…listen. About last Friday I…"

"Castle. Focus." Beckett snaps a little harsher than intended, "I only have a few minutes. I shouldn't even be down here…given the circumstances."

"Okay? So, you have something?"

"Not so much something as a couple of angles we're working. I need you to look at this and tell me if you recognize it."

"Okay" he easily complies as Beckett takes the photo out of the folder tucked into her left arm and hands it to him. Hands lightly brush and she feels a quick churn in her stomach. Castle doesn't notice as he's completely focused on the emblem he's looking at on their vics forehead.

"Do you recognize this?" She begins emotionless because she fears if she really let the brevity of the situation sink in she would be paralyzed. "I just thought if your theory on 3XK was right then maybe he mentioned the significance to you while he had you captured in the hotel."

Staring and thinking back, "No, I don't recognize it", he said as he handed the photo back. Deflated and helpless again he mutters, "Sorry."

"Don't be. It's a stressful situation Castle…we'll figure this out." Her voice is encouraging for both of them because she needs it as much as he does. She bumps her knee into his. The movement causes the photo to slip out but lands so that they're now looking at it upside down. Beckett reaches down, picking up the picture.

"Wait." Castle says swiftly just as his hand captures her wrist stilling her movement.

"What is it?"

"I've seen this. We were looking at it from the wrong angle, but turn the photo upside down and the emblem is turned upright…I've seen this."

"Where Castle? Think…we've got to be sure." He loves that she's using we, it swells his heart because she still sees him as her partner.

"In the hotel when I was tied to the chair he was going on about his victims and I began to tell him the only story I could think of that would make him do the things he did. I was on the mark about his Mother or it upset him because the next thing I know he had his arm raised and gun pointing right at me."

Beckett closes her eyes at the thought and swallows past the emotional lump in her throat. Castle tries to use his mind's eye and see clearer what his sub-conscience already knows.

After a minute, "I'm sure. When he lifted his arm, his sleeve raised just enough to reveal the bottom portion of his tattoo. This is a personal marking Beckett. A brand if you will." Castle swallows hard, looking Beckett straight into the depth of her eyes, saying the only thing running through his mind, "it's him."

Beckett nods her confirmation back to him as the guard comes over to the cell opening up the gate. Apparently, their few minutes are up. She turns around meeting his eyes, "Thank you Castle." She offers her hand. He longingly takes it and they both close their eyes with a soft, supple light squeeze. When they open their eyes, they see the love and pain in each other, both pleading the same thing; _please let this be over soon._

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Beckett lightly knocks on the Captains door, "Sir may I?"

The captain only nods her approval and Beckett enters, "Make it quick."

"Yes Sir. The team and I were going back through the evidence and came across an emblem carved onto the victim's forehead. Sir, the emblem is the marking tattooed on another perp. This case is his…

"Beckett. Stop. I understand you don't want Castle involved in this, but you said so yourself. The man in the video is him."

"I'm not so sure anymore, Sir."

"Pardon?"

"Look, we've worked a serial killer case in the past and for details I don't have time to go into."

"Well make time Detective."

Beckett is annoyed. She really doesn't have time because if this is 3XK and this is day 2, they have 1 day before someone else falls victim. "Sir, a couple of years ago we came across a serial killer dubbed as 3XK."

"Yes, I'm familiar and why do you think this is him. This isn't his style last time I checked."

"No, you're right it's not. But Castle crossed him in the case. 3XK vowed to change his look and identity and promised he'd be back. I believe he's the man we should be hunting."

"And how do you know this emblem matches his tattoo?"

"Castle…"

"Say no more, Detective. Castle is not a reliable source to me at this point. The man writes murder for a living and is very good at it. You said yourself that Castle crossed him. How do you know Castle isn't just setting this up to point back to 3XK?"

Beckett's lips purse together because this woman is difficult. Swallowing the last of her doubt about him and closing her eyes, she quickly articulates in her mind what she has to say next. "With all due respect Sir, I know him. He's been my partner for four years. Now that might not mean much to you but I've worked aside that man and he is not capable of this. I'm telling you, this is the work of someone else."

"Detective Beckett, I don't doubt that you believe what you're saying. But I have seen a cop fall and become corrupt first-hand. People we know or believe we know sometimes do the unimaginable."

Beckett can't believe what she's hearing. She will not listen, but then the Captain breaks in, "Get me proof detective, hard evidence and I'll entertain the idea of using the precincts resources to dive deeper." Captain Gates puts her glasses back on and peers down at the papers in front of her. "Thank you, Detective."

"But Sir, we only have 1 d…"

"Proof Detective," Captain Gates didn't have time for these types of antics.

"I may be able to help with that." Esposito says entering through the door with partner in tow.

Gates feeling a little annoyed removes her glasses shooting daggers at him with her eyes.

"We traced the IP address back to the location of the bank where the Cashier's Check was withdrawn and then pulled video to confirm. The time and location don't match Castle's whereabouts at the time. He was working a case with us at the exact same time that morning."

Beckett's face lights up at first with the news and then embarrassment in her voice, "How did we miss that when going through his financials?"

Ryan as if on cue, "Well at first we were only looking for the dollar amount to match the jewelry but when we went back and asked about the timestamp difference on the financials report to the IP address tracking of the transaction; we found out that the bank had a software defect being updated at the exact same time we pulled the financial records."

Esposito cuts in answering the unasked questions, "Apparently, the update was outside of their control window by a new employee and the glitch was only affected for 1 minute. What are the odds that the timestamp effect during that 1 minute would need to be used as hard evidence?"

Beckett numbly states, "Yeah, what are the odds?" Esposito and Ryan fist bump and all three look back over to Gates, holding their breath.

"Good work…all of you. Now go and track down that victim's killer." Gates puts her glasses back on again and blankly calls out, "See Detective Beckett…proof."

Beckett looks over her shoulder and gives a quick nod shutting the door behind her. Rolling her eyes and a quirk on her lips, _holding…time to get Castle out_.

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Review Please - would like to improve


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